A Season of Firsts

Yesterday was the first day of fall, so what better time to share some of our recent firsts...

First day of school at St. James 2016-17 (Danny is in the 4s with Mrs. Daughtry and Crew is in the 2s with Mrs. Norris and Mrs. Whitley).

Kingston's first real bath. Sorry for the money shot!

One of Kingston's first times eating out - with outdoor seating to avoid some germs.

First Redskins game for Kingston. Love the older boys matching tees from Grandma!

Kingston's first office day with mommy away from home.

My first time taking all three kids out to eat by himself. It was hectic!

Kingston's first date...as a third wheel with mommy and daddy for their 7th anniversary dinner at Freddie's in Kure Beach. Thanks Uncle Kevin and Aunt Stef for watching Danny and Crew!

Settling In

Kingston is currently over 3 weeks old already. What??? Time flies when you're having fun...or sleep deprived. I can't remember how the saying goes. Anyways, we're slowly but surely adjusting and just couldn't love our littlest anymore. Here are some shots of Kingston's life thus far. Love how he has his little hands up by his face all the time. Explains why he fights the swaddle so hard too...

Little Artists

This is all out of order, but a couple weeks before Kingston was born we attended June's 3rd birthday party at the Children's Museum and the pics were just too cute to not share! Crew, the food monster, was INTO the pizza and cupcakes and tasting the paint too...

Meeting Big Brothers and Heading Home

After some much needed napping during the day, Papa and Lita brought Danny and Crew to the hospital to meet their little brother. I guess it was as to be expected, but emotions were running high and it wasn't the smoothest introduction. Crew was acting out like crazy and wouldn't have anything to do with mommy, which broke my heart. Danny was extra hyped up too - a result of being overwhelmed with the whole experience I'm sure. Despite all that, we did manage to snap a couple cute pics.

Kevin and Stef stopped by as well with bubbly and bought us dinner, which was wonderful! HUGE thanks to Papa and Lita for taking such good care of the older boys - we couldn't have done it without you. And shout-out to the grandparents, aunts and uncles who were there with us in spirit - your love, support, excitement and encouragement meant the world to us!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about coming home and how everyone would get along. Luckily, what we experienced in the hospital was a fluke and Danny and Crew both adore their little brother. They're very intrigued by him and don't seem to be jealous. Win, win!

Going Home

First sponge bath

Welcoming Kingston!

CONTINUED from here...

So after about 45 mins of waiting, we finally got a Triage room! Much to my surprise, however, the nurse in charge of checking me in said that I was still only 4cm and 80% and to admit me they like to see "cervical change", so she ordered me to walk the halls for an hour and then check back. Where was Dr. Carroll when I needed her?!? I only lasted 30 mins and the contractions were less than 3 mins apart and too painful to walk through, so the nurse pulled us back into the room and Dr. Carroll met us there to get me admitted! 

By the time we got into our Labor and Delivery room, I was in a lot of pain and I had to get at least a 1/2 a bag of IV fluids in before I could get an epidural. About 1 hour later the miracle man, a.k.a the anesthesiologist, arrived and while enduring multiple terrible contractions, got me hooked up to the good stuff! By the time the epidural took full effect, I was 8-9 cm, so no wonder I was in so much pain! At about 1am, I started feeling gushes of amniotic fluid. My water was broken, but the bag was still in tact, which was a good thing since I was still receiving antibiotics for Group B Strep. 

At about 2:30 or 2:45am Dr. Carroll broke my water and I started feeling the urge to push. It was go time! A couple pushes and at 3:07am he was here!

Meet Kingston Callahan O'Connor - 7 lbs 7 ounces and 20 inches long of pure sweetness!

I'd like to say that the tough end to this pregnancy and going through labor for the 3rd time would be enough for me say "I'm Done", but it isn't. The baby you get at the end is just too special! That said, here are some other shots from labor and delivery and his first day. Always amazes me how tired and sore you can be while simultaneously being the happiest person ever.